Numbers and thoughts

 I can't say why, but these two things I came across minutes apart seem oddly relevant to one another.  

population has grown ~9x in 200yrs, while poverty trends to 0

people act as though capitalism is a zero sum game, but it’s actually the only system that creates positive sum outcomes

the average person today is far richer than most kings in days past https://t.co/SHHfbT2V6V pic.twitter.com/Wk3Bmxpnwo

— Arthur MacWaters (@ArthurMacwaters) April 12, 2026

And

Advice to the English Department 

by Joseph S. Salemi

Instead of reading Marx and Hegel 

Have yourself a cream cheese bagel. 

Skip Foucault, ignore Lacan —

Order up a coq au vin. 

Sick of texte by Derrida? 

Cherchez la cuisine, comme ca. 

People who are in the know 

Turn to escalopes de veau 

Rather than get mental canker 

Wading through some verbose wanker. 

 

Advice to the English Department by Joseph S. Salemi

Advice to the English Department 

by Joseph S. Salemi

Instead of reading Marx and Hegel 

Have yourself a cream cheese bagel. 

Skip Foucault, ignore Lacan —

Order up a coq au vin. 

Sick of texte by Derrida? 

Cherchez la cuisine, comme ca. 

People who are in the know 

Turn to escalopes de veau 

Rather than get mental canker 

Wading through some verbose wanker. 

History

A curiosity missed by many in London

[📹livinglondonhistory]pic.twitter.com/ZQ6qCJ3BTf

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) March 13, 2026

 

An Insight

This is actually how they think pic.twitter.com/XAY6hoeO8w

— Kevin Sorbo (@ksorbs) March 11, 2026

 

I see wonderful things

You're telling me the British Defence Attache to a Desert country is a guy called "Captain Sandy Sandilands" https://t.co/1D0KkCoO5d

— 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐎𝐍™ (@Devon_OnEarth) March 10, 2026

 

Offbeat Humor

Really can’t add to this 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/uFuHv33roZ

— G-PA INDY (@GPAIndiana) March 10, 2026

 

Data Talks

One of the things that you don't understand when young but are amazed by when older is the logistics of war. Some of the stuff we carried out in 43-45 is insane. https://t.co/93dVebBiBZ

— Nick Meals (@nickmeals) March 13, 2026

 

Portrait of a Man (Self-Portrait?), 1433 by Jan van Eyck

Portrait of a Man (Self-Portrait?), 1433 by Jan van Eyck (Netherlands, 1390-1441)

Click to enlarge.

History

Noam Chomsky once called English spelling "a near optimal system."

You might think he was being ironic. Far from it.

The silent 'b' in "bomb" reappears in "bombard." The silent 'n' in "hymn" is pronounced once again in "hymnal." The silent 'g' in "sign" comes back in "signal."… pic.twitter.com/h45AU4TE5m

— Colin Gorrie (@colingorrie) March 11, 2026

 

An Insight

The lie goes out on national television, the correction goes out in a tweet.

See how that works? https://t.co/G8npElpW69

— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) March 11, 2026